1930 Sunbeam 20.9 Tourer

Lot details
Registration No: VF 7836
Chassis No: 2012L
Mot Expiry: None

We are indebted to the vendor for the following description:

The Sunbeam 20.9HP Tourer offered, is thought to have been owned from new by Ernest Harold Overend Fynn, the Headmaster of Deytheur School, Llantsantffraid, Montgomeryshire. His name is the only entry in the continuation log book, which shows the car was last taxed to the end of September 1956.

The brothers John and George Hartle were pupils at Deytheur during World War II. John was so impressed by the car that he asked for first refusal, should the vehicle ever be sold - an unusual move for a young pupil! However, Mr Fynn honoured the request and John purchased the Sunbeam sometime in the 1960s; though it is not known for how much.

It languished unused for a while, but was finally passed to a restorer around 1975. The car was stripped and a small amount of work done, but for some reason progress then halted and the car was placed in storage. John Hartle passed away in 1997, at which point the Sunbeam was inherited by his brother, who, intent on continuing the dream, commissioned work to begin once more.

The original ash frame and body were in sound condition and required little attention. The chassis and running gear were refurbished and repainted, and the body refitted. A new bonnet, front wings, front apron, running boards, valances and wheel discs were fabricated. New bumpers were made and the windscreen repaired and rechromed. The engine was dismantled, reassembled and reinstalled with a refurbished clutch. The 'One-Shot' chassis lubrication system was restored and new tyres and tubes fitted. It was at this point that progress ceased once more. Now George Hartle has also passed away - hence the sale of VF 7836.

The original buff log book shows the 'Description of vehicle' as 'Touring', but the 'Type of body' as 'Saloon'. The latter is thought to be a clerical error as everyone remembers the car as a Tourer, and the restorer is adamant that the body is original. It was hoped that enquiries with the Sunbeam Register would confirm the car's original specification, but it appears that factory records do not exist for the period concerned.

Whilst much work remains to be done on this historically desirable 20.9, it is a potentially rewarding project for the successful purchaser. The vehicle comes with a number of parts that are thought to be original, including: a pair of headlamps, engine ancillaries and various dashboard instruments in need of refurbishment. The odometer within the damaged speedometer shows just 35,319 unwarranted miles.

PLEASE NOTE: The wheel discs were not fabricated, but 2 were refurbished